Flatbreads are a wonderful way to whip up a simple, delicious dinner with not a lot of fuss. This flatbread combines some of my favorite flavors, while the balsamic reduction adds a sweet, acidic bite that complements the asparagus effin' amazingly. The best part of this dish is that it looks complicated, but it was one of the easiest things to make. Making the dough ahead or buying it store-bought will save you a lot of time as well. This dish would be perfect for any dinner, from simple to extravagant. Make it and let me know if you agree.

Sometimes you stumble across a recipe that is so wonderful that you just accept it as fate and use it as your own. This pizza dough is exactly this type of recipe for me. If you've never heard of The Brokeass Gourmet, welcome to the interwebz, I understand you're new here! I use this recipe all the time. As Gabi (author of Brokeass Gourmet) says, "Everyone should have a ball of fresh pizza dough in their refrigerator at all times. It’s ridiculously easy and you can make SO many things out of it..." This is the truth! I usually double her recipe and have even frozen it! So below is the effin' recipe. Don't make any adjustments at all. Don't try to be fancy and use the expensive bread flour. Just make this as is. It's the best possible way and yields the best results. (image courtesy of Brokeass Gourmet.)

Once upon a time, Peanut Butter was walking down the street, just minding her own business, when BLAM! Out of the sky falls Chocolate, right on top of Peanut Butter. To say they fell in love and were a perfect match made in heaven is an understatement, and they lived in perfectly unified bliss until the end of time. The End. These taste just like the egg-shaped version of a popular non-vegan chocolate peanut butter treat, but better. You can adjust the ratio of peanut butter to chocolate if you'd like, but I thought these were perfect. Now, the only question is, to share or not to share?

Bomb Diggity Barbecue Chick'n Braid was bomb diggity. This was something I figured would be a nice replacement for a vegan bbq chicken pizza, but it was good enough to stand on its own. We ate this for dinner, but I could totally see this served at a party or potluck. Don't be intimidated by the effin' long directions below; it was super easy to put together.

My daughter used to love corn dogs as a vegetarian, but since we went vegan, I haven't been able to find them. Since she started school, she's asked for them, since they're an item that they serve for lunch there pretty regularly. I thought serving them like a super fun muffin/cupcake would be an absolute effin' win-win. They're not fried, so they're healthier, plus it's so easy to put a pan of a dozen of these babies into the oven. These came out so much better than I expected them to. Craveable, even.

Mmm, spinach dip. This is just a simple recipe for those days when you need something creamy and delicious. This is also a perfect appetizer or snack for almost any get-together. If you like crunch, add water chestnuts. If you like artichoke, add artichoke hearts. If you like simple tastiness, just eat this as-is. But I'm warning you, this is highly addictive. I had omni friends over this evening, and they LOVED this. And it's vegan. Almost secretly, it seems. It made me super happy.

I set out to make a sandwich that was inspired by Cuban flavors and, let me just say, this was the best effin' sandwich I've had in awhile. Behold the Cubana Libre, so named for the fact that "libre" means "free", and these are cruelty-free. The avocado lends a creaminess that goes excellently with the kick of the lime and onion and the sweet tenderness of the plantain. The black beans are a Cuban staple that add a meaty heft to the whole darn thing. It's also soy-free if you use soy-free Earth Balance. Make this sandwich. It's like a panini on crack. I plan on keeping the ingredients for this on hand for when I need a sandwich I can really sink my teeth into.

This year, I decided to make Hamantaschen for Purim. We've never had them before and the idea of veganizing a traditional dessert appealed to me, so, after extensive research, I delved in. In trying to keep with traditional flavors, I went to the Jewish market and bought a can of prune jam and a can of poppy seed jam. I did not like the poppy seed, however. You can use any preserve you like. I'd like to do apricot in the near future. I've heard that hamantaschen are usually dry and not very good. These ones are tender, moist and absolutely effin' delicious. I can't wait to make them again.

Now, doesn't that look good? It was. It was super good. This, my friends, is my vegan version of Carne Asada. Carne asada was a dish I'd enjoy frequently when I was an omni. I didn't think I'd be able to duplicate this at all. If you're looking for the chewy, meat-like consistency of carne asada, then you should probably look elsewhere. But this will give you the flavor profile of carne asada on a nice, tender, meaty vessel, kinda like sausage or bacon. The fatty creaminess of the avocado ranch and the cool crunch of the cabbage stuffed inside the folds of a soft, warm flour tortilla make this dish completely crave-able and satisfying. This is also super budget-friendly, so bonus! With just a little prep the day before, this dish would be perfect for potlucks, picnics, barbecues, or even a weekday dinner.

This stuff is SO GOOD! I nearly called this Herb-Infused Olive Oil Dipping Sauce, but I use it for so much more. It's delicious with bread, sure. It's especially effin' magical brushed onto, and served with, my Delicious and Easy French Bread. But it's also delightful on baked potatoes, steamed vegetables, raw carrots, pasta, salad, rice; really, you're only limited by your imagination when it comes to this tastiness.

Author

Hi, I'm Apryl, a sassy artist-type who also happens to be the mommy in this 3-piece (soon to be 4-piece) band. My husband, Sean, and I are both foodies with food & beverage backgrounds.I love experimenting in the kitchen and using my husband and 6 year old daughter, Anabella, as the testers. I also love feedback, and I hope you enjoy the recipes I post as much as we enjoyed them.